


Grometheus within me (GromQueensAu)

by Id_entity



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, First Time
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-13 08:08:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28525227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Id_entity/pseuds/Id_entity
Summary: Bear in mind that this is my first time so i'm sorry if it's horrible or/and if any grammar and writing is wrong. Also. Happy new years
Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda, Boscha/Willow Park, Emira Blight/Viney
Comments: 6
Kudos: 40





	1. works of the Wild Witches Uprising

**Author's Note:**

> Bear in mind that this is my first time so i'm sorry if it's horrible or/and if any grammar and writing is wrong. Also. Happy new years

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 3 years later after running away from her home away from home. They begun an uprising for the weirdos and oddities all around. Whether demon, creature, witch and former enemy, they would accept and ally with. They've grown bigger, stronger, smarter and even infamous. Their mission is to gather every single individual willing to help in order to overthrow the almighty Emperor Belos. 
> 
> But with Grometheus wilting her inside out, will she ever reach the happy ending she's been wanting? Or just hurt the people she loves along the way? It doesn't help that her crush, Amity, may want her gone and out of her life, permanently. Lucky for her she's got friends and family to help her wield Grometheus within her.

~3 years later~

~Luz POV~

I leaped from branch to branch, moving as quietly as I could. I paused for a moment to catch my breath, pushing myself against the trunk of the tree. My chest lifted high with each deep breath I took. I peered below the branches, careful not to be seen.

“Where is she? Where is the girl!?” A loud voice boomed underneath. There stood the mighty and desperate Eyepatch. “If we don’t get that girl, all of us will be sent back to poop picking on the streets!”

Sweat shined on his forehead, his face so full with rage and fear. The rest of his troop jogged behind him, out of breath. The rest of his men were left behind, either too tired or trapped. 

A purple-haired witch came up to him, sweat dripping down her bruised neck. “Boss maybe we should just tell The Emperor we lost her--”

CHRSKK! The tree beside her crackled as it slowly fell down. Eyepatch lowered his sword. The witch backed away in fright.

“Split up. I don’t care if it takes us all week or if any of you get hungry again” he turned around, facing away from them and slid his sword back to its scabbard.

His troop immediately ran off to different directions, bumping into each other in the process. Once everyone was gone I dropped down from the branches, landing with a crunch just behind Eyepatch.

I smirked “Not bad…” I casually walked up to him. “The tree cutting was a nice touch”

He gave me a lopsided smile. He circled his finger, creating a blue halo. The glamour around his body slowly faded into smoke, revealing a pleased Emira. She joined our cause a year ago before being forced into the Emperors’ coven. She had her face painted with black like a raccoon and wore a half cape on her left side with a shoulder plate on the other.

She shrugged, “I try.” She bumped her hip to mine “You’re not bad yourself, Otter girl. Drawing glyphs on the leaves and dropping them from above? None of them saw it coming!”

We both chuckled quietly, when suddenly a snap of a twig nearby alerted us both. I whipped out my staff from behind, lowering my stance. Emira held her hands up, ready to cast her spells. Everything was quiet for a few seconds until a bush started to shake. I raised my staff towards it, ready to strike but Emira pressed her palm over my staff, pushing it down.

“Wait…” She whispered under her breath.

I gripped my staff firmly. It continued to shake and tremble, keeping us in suspense. A tiny otter burst out of the leaves, running straight ahead. He yelped when he bumped his head on the point of my boot.

“Oh, it’s just you!” I bent down towards him. “You gave us quite a scare, Potter”

I held my hand out towards him. He squeaked at me, his whiskers twitching. He jumped up on my hand and scampered over my shoulders to my other arm and up my staff. He pressed his paw on the end of my staff, interlocking himself.

“Sweet! Now that Potter is here I guess we can go?”

I glanced at Emira. She nodded back at me with a tired smile plastered on her face. I bent down and grabbed a nearby stick, testing its durability before drawing the teleportation glyph. Emira glanced around, observing every falling leaf and moving branches as I kept my focus on the glyph.

I heard her gasp all of a sudden and tapped my shoulder “They’re back! Hurry!” 

She held her hands up and drew two circles at once. She made a sweeping motion, making the circles duplicate and scatter.

“That should buy us some time.” She said as she maintained to keep an eye out.

I continued to draw the teleportation glyph and once I was done I took out a piece of bark from our home tree and Barcus’ small potion bottle filled with purple liquid from my waist bag. I knelt down as I placed the bark on the center and uncorked the potion, letting the purple liquid drizzle unto the wood piece.

I stood up and gripped my staff. I spun it around for a moment before swinging it down, causing the end of my staff to dig through the dirt. There was a moment of blinding light before it surrounded us both. I squeezed my eyes shut, keeping a firm hold on my staff. I could feel the wind spiraling and shifting around me, feeling cold then warm, the noise of birds and leaves now changing into a hubbub of laughter and shouting.

I could see the bright light behind my eyelids dwindling down. I slowly blinked my eyes open, adjusting to the brightness. As expected, we were greeted by the familiar sight of the sanctuary. The wild witches sanctuary. I glanced beside me to make sure Emira had all her limbs attached. She gave me a wave as she pulled out few leaves and twigs out of her hair.

“You should really teach me how to do that, cutie. Might not have anyone to save me next time” She gave me a lopsided grin and winked.

I rolled my eyes. I took out a glyph and stuck it on my mask, removing the binding spell. I took my mask off, feeling a light blush dusting my cheeks. “You’ve got your own tricks and I’ve got mine” I finger gunned her, “Now I gotta go find Eda. See ya later!” and scurried off.

I swung my staff back to its holder, hearing that satisfying click of it attaching. I glanced back at it, ensuring that Potter was still interlocked, smiling to myself when he was. I ran my hand through my hair, getting a bit mud and sticky goo stuck on my hand.

“Ew… There better not be any griffin poop up there” I shook my hand, flinging some of the muck away.

I glanced around the sanctuary, breathing in the fresh calming air. I still can’t believe I’m not dreaming about this place, this is real. And we made this happen. We built this sanctuary for those who were like us. 

We took in exiles that were starving and dying;

I passed by Viney’s corral for creatures and demons of all sorts. Viney, Jerbo and Barcus perked up when they saw me, cheering out my name. I waved my hand enthusiastically, grinning when Puddles perked up as well and scrambled towards me, bumping her head under my hand. Puddles pulled her head back, letting out a loud cry before unfurling her wings and leaping up to fly overhead.

We saved those that were sentenced to death and would be dead by now if we hadn’t stepped in;

A few birdfolks along with Puddles flew by, the flap of their wings were strong enough that I could feel the force of the wind. Feathers fell down from the sky, bathing the area with different hues of colors. Witches flew alongside them with their brooms and staffs.

And recruited witches that chose the old ways;

Lilith descended down from the flock, hovering beside me with her staff. 

“Luz. Took you long enough” Lilith had had been with us ever since she shared the curse with Eda. She has been nothing but loyal and a benefit to our Uprising. But she can still be stuck in her old ways sometimes.

“You look great. State of the art hairstyle? New outfit?” She smirked at me, resting her head on her fist.

I rolled my eyes, walking briskly. “Oh yeah, I just decided sticks and mud would be a good look for me.” I gestured at my body 

The blue-haired witch continued hovering beside me. “Really now, no need for sarcasm. I was only pointing out all that filth you might’ve missed” She patted the space beside her, scooching over to give space. “Need a ride?”

I hesitated for a minute before smirking. “Not afraid of getting any filth on good ol’ Ravenna?” I mocked, raising an eyebrow.

“Fine. If you don’t need a ride, I’ll be going now” Her staff increased speed, slowly leaving me behind.

“Oi wait!” I rushed up to her, “I was just making sure you’re fine with me getting dirt on her!” I reached up and gently gripped the body of the staff and laboriously hauled myself up.

She patted the head of the staff, “Take us home, Ravenna” and at her words Ravenna unfurled her wings and flew swiftly.

Ravenna increased in height, nearly touching the clouds. The wind managed to knock my chest back, causing me to grip her staff tighter. Lilith looked back to ensure I haven’t fallen off again. I gave her a thumbs-up as we continued to the owl house. I glanced around, admiring the view of the wide fields and houses scattered everywhere. An idea came to me.

I took a deep breath in, “TO THE WILD WITCHES UPRISING!” I yelled out, pumping my fist in the air.

Each person below me glanced up, confused and shielded their eyes from the sun. One creature threw their tail high in the air.

“TO THE WILD WITCHES UPRISING” He yelled. A wide grin plastered on his face.

The rest of the people started to chant loudly as well, raising their hand, hoof, paw, mug and tentacle in the air as high as they could. Lilith flinched at the growing volume of the crowd, urging her staff faster until the shouts were a muffled noise behind us.

“Did you really have to start a whole orchestra?” She muttered, her ear twitching in annoyance.

I snickered, “What? It’s fun! And imagine in just a few weeks, after we find a way to reverse the petrification stone we’ll have an even louder orchestra!” I spread my arm wide, keeping my other hand on the staff.

She sighed, rubbing her temples. “Sounds like a headache. I’d need twice the elixirs for that. And maybe a dozen more for when Edalyn joins in.”

I barked out a laugh. “Are you guys seriously still not getting along? It’s been three years! Why is siblinghood so hard?”

“Human, don’t forget that I did curse her for the rest of her life and sent multiple squads of emperor guards to her house and stand. I still don’t get how she was able to put up with me after all that” 

Though her back was facing me, I could imagine the look on her face very clearly. She hasn’t been able to forgive herself and gain closure from what happened. But she still tries very hard and become more patient with us. Is that what it feels like to have siblings?

I let out a short breath, “Well if it helps. I think you’re doing really well on your redemption arc”

She glanced back at me, her eyebrows pinched. “Redemption arc?”

I nodded, “Yeah! You’re really growing into being a great person.”

She stared at my face for a moment before turning back to the front. “So being a fugitive outlaw is a great trait?”

“Hey! We’re doing this for a reasonable cause!” I scoffed. “And the Emperors’ laws are stupid anyway”

She chuckled. “True enough. But now hold on” and without any other warning her staff tipped downwards, plummeting us to the ground. 

“BWAH!” I yelped as my grip loosened and I was flung off. I was suspended in the air for a hot second

“Oof!” Luckily, I landed on a feathery and soft spot.

“Wow! That was a close one huh, Luz?” Hooty chirped, gently lowering me to the ground.

“Ack… Thank you, Hooty. You are a very nice door.” I patted his head before sliding off of him.

He took a sharp intake of breath “You think I’m a nice door??” He swiveled his head around to face Lilith as she slid off her staff in a hurry. “Lilith did you hear that? I’m a good door hoot hoot!”

“Luz!” She grabbed the end of her dress, running towards us “Titans, are you alright?” She ran her hands over me, checking every spot.

“I’m fine. You’ve seen me get thrown off at higher heights before! This is nothing” I waved her off. “At this rate I could fly if I had wings” I chuckled.

Lilith took one last glance at me before stepping back. “If you’re sure”

I nodded before walking ahead of her inside the owl house. Hooty stretched back to the door, opening his mouth wide for us to enter. Lilith slumped down the couch, heaving out a sigh and shutting her eyes close. I held the doorknob for support as I balanced on one foot, lifting my other foot to untie my boot and vice versa. I set them aside, stretching my toes.

“I’ll be upstairs. Just shout my name when Eda and King are back from their quest” I scurried past the couch and ran up the stairs, causing the wooden-boards to creak with each step I took.

I ran straight to my door expecting it to swing open but instead smacked my head on the door. “Ow!” I rubbed the tip of my nose, feeling for any blood. “Ay… I forgot Eda fixed the lock on this door.”

I turned the doorknob, hearing it click open. I went inside and took off my waist bag and leather gear, throwing my mask on the side. I placed my staff beside the door and flopped down on my mattress, squeezing my eyes shut and heaving out a heavy sigh. I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling, smiling when the star stickers still shone brightly.

My eyelids started to feel heavy, “Maybe… A little nap wouldn’t kill me” I closed my eyes again, feeling my mind drift to unconsciousness.

A few minutes passed by. At least I assume it has been minutes.

I could feel something soft smacking my face. I could tell by the tiny and furry size of the smacks, it was Kings’. 

I groaned, “Whaaaaaaat….?” I rolled over and muffled my face in a pillow.

“Luz! Get up!” He continued to hit my head, getting harder after each slap. “There are poison-injecting dragonflies in your blanket” 

I jerked off my bed and immediately dusted myself off, hard. “What!? Really? Where??” I looked behind me, checking for any glowing dots.

“Hehe. No. Made you scream though!” He snickered.

I placed my foot under a pillow and kicked it towards King, hitting him right on the face.

“NYEH!” His body thumped against the floorboards. He kicked the pillow off and glared at me. “How could you kick such harmful objects at a cute little demon like me?”

I stuck my tongue out at him. “Now what was so important you had to disturb my beautiful dream?”

“Eda told me to come get y--” He suddenly sat up straight and started to scratch his neck like a dog would. “Hrr… Stupid skin-eaters and fur shredders….”

I bent down to get as close as I could to his level. “Yeesh. What happened to you guys?” I plucked out a vermin from the scruff of his neck, cringing at the size of it. “Ouh…. You’re gonna need a bath buddy.”

His eyes widened as he jumped away from my touch. “Nuh-uh!” He shook his head wildly, his tail spiking up.

“Oh don’t be such a baby! I’ll heat up the water if it makes you feel better?” I gave him a questioning look.

His tail slowly started to wag. “You better. Cuz if not these skin-chewers will crawl into your bed tonight”

“Yeah yeah.” I ambled towards the door. “Now c’mon. I’m pretty sure they’ll want to move as soon as possible after this meeting” As I stepped out I left the door open for King.

Minutes later, after heating up King’s water; I rushed down the stairs, holding the banister at the end before swinging off of it. I landed on the floor, causing it to thump loudly. Eda and Lilith jumped at the noise but relaxed when they noticed it was only me.

“Hiya fam!” I greeted, running over to the couch and jumping on it. “Whoop! Aw yeah let’s get this meeting started!” I pumped both fists up in the air, hyped.

Eda held my head and pushed it down, forcing me to sit still. Satisfied, she removed her hand and brought it back to her ‘Bad Girl Coven’ mug.

“You are way too energetic, Kid.” She said as she sipped her appleblood drink.

I shrugged “I just splashed my face with some cold water.”

“And?” Lilith gave me a knowing look. “It can’t just be cold water”

I bit the inside of my cheek before answering “…and maybe ate half of the gumdrops in the sugar jar”

They both stared at me.

“What? You can’t expect me to not eat them when they’re just sitting there untouched!” I crossed my arms, averting my eyes. “They were basically calling out for me to eat them”

Eda let out a long sigh, shaking her head. “Luz, Luz. Just can’t help yourself. Right, Lilith?” 

Lilith gave her one of the most deadpan looks I’ve ever seen. “Speak for yourself, Edalyn. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you sneaking out of your room at midnight to eat my leftover Quinoa”

I covered my mouth to keep myself from laughing. Eda glared at Lilith, pouting at her.

“Maybe I didn’t need to steal if you would’ve just made some extra for me too!” She suddenly clapped her hands together and sat straight, beaming. “Now back to why we’re here! The time has come!”

Lilith and I glanced at each other, confused. Eda looked between us, waiting for our reactions.

“Uh” I scratched my neck. “Time for dinner?”

“No” Her stomach grumbled loudly. “Maybe”

Lilith frowned for a moment, wearing a thoughtful look “Time for you to share your nest?” 

Eda snorted. “You wish. My house, my nest”

Lilith rolled her eyes, leaning back on her chair, upset because Eda still won’t share her nest after years of begging. And they say I’m childish.

My mentor groaned, squeezing the bridge of her nose. “What I meant was… It’s time for us to return to the boiling isles”

At the mention of the island I nearly choked on my own saliva. Lilith perked up as well, bewildered.

“We’re going back?” I could hear the hope in my own voice. “Then that means… I’ll be able to see my friends!” I jumped up, raising both of my arms overhead yelling out a cheer.

“And straight into enemy territory as well” Lilith added.

I flinched at her tone and slumped back down. She had a fire in her eyes that I could only assume was anger. Eda retaliated with her own kind of fire as she stared back.

“And may I remind you I’ve been living in that very same ‘enemy territory’, Libby” She scoffed. “And plus we need something from the Night market and from the conformatorium. It’s very important that we manage to get these objects” She pulled out a list from her hair and placed it on the table for us to see.

Lilith and I moved to the edge of our seats to get a better look. The list included numerous numbers of foods I never bothered to learn about, elixirs, antiques, relics, and more.

I smirked “So do we really need everything on this list? Or do you just want to steal stuff? ‘Cause last I checked we never needed black sunglasses or… mice?”

“They’re for breakfast” Eda responded in an even tone.

I brought my hand up to my mouth, pushing back down vomit. Lilith imitated my movement and reaction. I stared at my mentor with horror. She just shrugged and continued to sip her appleblood.

Eda scoffed and rolled her eyes at us. “So like I was saying, we need all these supplies and since there are two locations we need to go to, we’ll be splitting up in two groups”

I perked up. “Really? Will it be just us four or will the others join us?”

Eda thought for a moment, rubbing her chin “I think that Rodent boy and Blight girl will be joining us. And maybe that Vine witch too”

“So Jerbo, Emira and Viney?” I asked

Eda nodded, sipping her applebood again. 

Lilith hummed, “And when are we leaving?”

Eda grinned like some hungry predator staring down her prey, and she probably is. “Tonight.”

~~~~

Eda was right about the time, for once. The moonlight only managed to pass through the slits of the clouds, shrouding the Isles with minimum moonlight, otherwise leaving it in complete darkness ----which was perfect for us to sneak around with. We wandered in between buildings and closed stalls. I glanced up, catching sight of Viney and Emira’s body outline from the roofs. I pushed myself up against a wall, peering on the other side.

“Alright it’s clear here.” I stepped out, admiring the little changes around.

Jerbo and King followed suit, stepping out of the alleyway we were in. Viney dropped down from a roof, landing on a balcony and inspected her surroundings before peering down at us.

“All clear from up here” She whisper-yelled

I nodded and gave her a salute. She disappeared back to the shadows, leaving me, Jerbo and King alone.

Jerbo walked up to me. “We’re close to the conformatorium. We should hurry before they send out the second night patrol. Wouldn’t want them finding out about what happened to the first night patrols”

He winked, grinning under his mask. I chuckled and shook my head, amused.

“Lead the way, J” I turned back to King who had been digging through the closed stalls. “King! Let’s go! And quit robbing that stall. You can rob it again when the vendor is awake”

King yelped, poking his head out a barrel full of food-nips. “Wait! Just one more chow” He shoved a bunch of nips in his mouth before jumping out and scampering towards us. “Lesh go” he muffled, a few nips of food falling out his snout.

I snorted, covering my mouth. “Goofball” I opened my cloak wide. He jumped in, getting comfy in my cloak pocket. “Feeling safe?”

He nodded as he continued to chew his food. I gestured to Jerbo to go on. We both walked silently for a few minutes until the conformatorium came into sight. 

Jerbo heaved out a sigh of relief. “Woah… I just got goosebumps from sneaking around”

“Fun isn’t it?” I smirked at him.

King wiggled inside my cloak, attempting to get out. I opened my cloak wide, letting him fall out with a yelp. He shook his head for a moment before focusing on the conformatorium.

“Wuh. It’s been so long since we’ve been here” he muttered, gaping at the large structure before him.

Emira and Viney walked up to us from behind, “3 years is a pretty long time” The brown-haired witch whispered. “So how do we celebrate coming back here?” She stretched her arms out in front of her, smirking.

To be continued


	2. Surprise, surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> um hi.

LUZ POV

“Are you sure that splitting up was a good idea, Luz?” King mumbled, looking around nervously.

Our footsteps echoed around the empty hallways of the conformatorium. The only other sounds were from the groans of the fallen guards behind us.

I shrugged. “This way we can finish up the list a bit faster.” I waved a piece of paper in front of him. “Viney and Emira are good with blowing up locked doors so this will be quick and fun.”

“Couldn’t they just pick the locks? You know… Too be stealthier?” He remarked.

I chuckled, coming up to a two-way hallway. “We’ve gotta leave a mark for the emperor, King. Let him know we’re still going strong” 

I threw fire glyphs on both sides, hearing cries of pain as the fire swept across the carpet floors, sending off its final flickers. I gestured to King, nodding my head to the right side. All of a sudden a loud thundering sound rumbled throughout the building, shaking both the floor and walls. King jumped, a yelp coming out of his snout. He clung to my leg, wildly looking around for the source of the noise.

“Wow. I guess they found a big door” I bent down and scooped the furry demon unto my shoulder, rubbing his head. “Now come on, lil guy. We’re almost there”

We continued to the direction of the contraband room. Occasionally, pulling out glyphs and throwing them out to guards like gift cards. Soon enough we reached our destination. King leaped off my shoulder, landing with a thud. He squealed as the sight of the contraband doors came into view. I giggled as he rushed over to remove the doorknob.

He jumped up, grabbing hold of the handle. “Nyeh!” He planted both of his legs on the door, grunting as he pulled the doorknob free, falling down on the floor afterwards. “Got it!”

I pushed the door wide as the two of us stepped in and gazed around the room.

“Wowza... Brings back memories!” I placed my fists on my waists, letting out a whistle. “Isn’t this where we bonded for the first time, King?”

He sighed. “This place is nothing but painful memories of how a king lost his crown”

I scoffed, walking towards the human barrier. “Didn’t I give you that Azura crown as a replacement? Not to mention you lost my grom queen crown so you can’t really complain on how you don’t have a tiara now”

He mumbled out some incoherent sentence as I held my hand up towards the light, glancing over my shoulder at King.

“Keep a look out, yeah? This will be a quick snatch and loot” I gave him a single finger gun as I stepped in the barrier.

I squeezed my eyes shut, shielding my eyes from the blinding light with one arm. When I felt the light wash over me----- I blinked one eye open, my eyes slowly focusing on the tower of contrabands. I breathed out a sigh, pulling out the list from my waist bag.

“Let’s see…” I glanced back from the list to the contrabands, counting them off on my fingers.

Minutes passed. King kept me talking while sorting through the list. The objects from the top fell on me a few times, hitting me squarely on the head. Often I slipped on the stuffed-toys and slimes from the bottom of the pile.

“Ha! No way! Check what I found, King.” I gently slid the item outside the barrier with the tip of my boot. “It’s your old Skull!”

“Weh!” He let out a high squeal. “Too bad this doesn’t fit my head anymore”

“Bigger heads require bigger skulls, King. And I think that muntjac skull suits you better” I yelled as I pulled out a jar full of newts eyes. Their pupils dilated into thinner lines as they stared back at me.

“OH WHAT THE F--” I chucked it away as quick as I could. “King! Can you re-check if we really do need those… uh eyes?”

He didn’t respond. I instantly noticed the room had gone eerily quiet. Almost too quiet. 

“Kiiiiing?” I called out, receiving only silence.

My mind started to race. He has never been this quiet. Asleep or not. My body acted on instinct, quickly moving to the barrier. But the moment I reached it---- Flaring pain shot up my arm, electrocuting half of my body. 

“Agh--!” I reeled back, clutching my arm. “Ah- Ow… That’s…” 

I glanced at my arm---- the leather gear that used to be there was now burnt and torn, leaving red bloody marks on my skin. I bit my lip, feeling hot tears gathering in my eyes. That never happened before when I went in 3 years ago… Maybe I could only go in twice and go out once? I felt my knees wobbling but I stood firm.

The human barrier flickered, the light fading slightly. Until the light finally flickered out, revealing Emperor guards on the other side. And wow there’s a lot of them.

One of the guards pointed at me. “There she is!”

I backed up against the contrabands, my eyes traveled from mask to mask. “Uh. Surprise! I’m guessing you guys found our little surprises too?”

Half of the guards had their clothing torn and burnt at the edges, had ice stuck to them, had water dripping from their heads to their boots and the rest looked pretty beaten up. One of the guards had King held from the scruff of his neck with his snout covered with a muzzle. He scratched and pawed at the muzzle uncomfortably, whining in the process.

“Hey! Put him down!” I bit the inside of my cheek as the pain on my arm grew.

“Careful, little one.” A voice said aloud. “We can’t have you dead just yet” He held a warning tone in his words.

The guards stood aside as he stepped forward. As I was about to bark out an insult--- My jaw fell open as my eyes roamed his face. He doesn’t look much different from three years ago. Now he has a stubble and half a mask on the right side of his face. He wore a suit relating to the emperors’ coven, making him look superb and powerful.

“Edric?” I felt lightheaded. I was not prepared to see any of them… At all.

He raised his eyebrow, his mouth parting slightly. “And how’d you know my name?”

My hand went up to my mask, feeling its wooden surface. “Just… From the posters outside” He doesn’t know who I am. And I have to make sure it stays that way.

He narrowed his eyes at me, a frown tugging his lips downwards. He shrugged, seeming to be satisfied with my answer. He gestured to one of the guards. The barrier lowered down from the ceiling. But before I could grab a glyph---- chains materialized around me, locking me on the spot. My arms were held tight on my sides. My injured arm flared hotter as the cold touch of the chains made contact with my skin, shocking me.

“AGH!” I bit my lip, squeezing my eyes close. “Motherf--” Nope. Not cursing. No.

I doubled over, falling down on my knees. Tears ran down my cheek as I opened my eyes. Someone stepped towards my direction, their boots stopping right in front of me.

“You know. That barrier used to be accessed specifically by humans only. Now it serves as a trap for creatures like you” He tipped my chin up with his boot. “If you think that’s painful. Just wait until I bring you to The Emperor. You’ll know the true meaning of pain then”

Edric has… changed. He seemed much more stoic and stiff. Not like the giddy and care-free Edric back then. He bent down, pressing his hand on my mask and wrapped his fingers around it, attempting to pull it off my face. He frowned, confused as the mask wouldn’t budge.

“Quit trying. The mask has a binding spell on.” I smirked, even though dots of blood came out of my arm. “We wouldn’t be that stupid to just let you guys take a picture of our face without a price, hm?”

He hummed, standing back up. “No matter. The emperor will handle that… Whether it rips your face off or not”

He turned around to walk away, his boot hitting King’s old skull on the way.

“What’s this?” He bent down and scooped it up, observing the skull. “Huh. You know. This used to belong to an old friend of ours. A king of demons. It’s a shame that the other demons wanted him dead rather than alive”

…what

King’s eyes widened, staring at Edric. His words were muffled due to the muzzle and leash around his snout. Edric snapped his finger, alerting the guards. He gestured at me. The guards nodded at him and approached me, ready to cast any necessary spells. I wracked my brain for a way out--- but with the pain that shot up my arm kept me from focusing.

“You know. Emira misses you and Amity” I blurted out.

He froze. He looked over his shoulder at me. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking nor read his face. I could only see the covered half of his head. There was a moment of silence before he scoffed and turned all the way to face me, sneering.

“Don’t you dare speak of that cowards name here! She chose her side and I chose mine.” His face fell for a split second, almost quick enough to miss. “Even though she was supposed to choose family.”

He shook his head, dismissing the thoughts in his mind. He focused back on me---- his gaze once again cold and empty. He waved to the guards again. The white-caped witches advanced on me as he turned back around, moving towards the doors. 

“I don’t know, Edric. Unlike you both--- She actually did what she knew was right. She faced her fear. You and I both know what that is.” I called out. 

He stopped on his tracks. He kept quiet but I knew I caught his attention. As I opened my mouth the pain became worse. It felt like needles dipped in alcohol were stabbed through the layers of my skin. But I had to push it aside. I had to get through him first. 

“And if you think being all high and mighty like this will distract you from the truth… Then you’re wrong!” I continued. “She wanted more for herself than just a family. She wanted friends that would support her rather than a family that looked down at her. She chose us over you--”

He swiftly turned around so fast that he was a blur for a second. He made a circle motion with his finger, casting a spell circle. His staff appeared out of thin air, fitting itself in his hand. He aimed the tip at me as he muttered a chant under his breath.

“What… What are y--” My head felt dizzy. My eyelids and limbs felt heavy.

My head lolled to the side, my body following suit. I fell down on my good arm, leaving my injured arm exposed. I groaned, closing one eye. I felt so exhausted and deprived of energy. My vision became blurry as I got more lightheaded. I squinted at Edric with lidded eyes. But my vision was quickly consumed by darkness, leaving me torpid.

You’ve got to know the painful truth, Edirc. No matter how much it scares you. Just give me a bit more time and I’ll take you, amity and the rest of our friends home, with your sister and I.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thankyou for reading :>>
> 
> P.S. i almost wrote the story in the summary section ;-;


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edric has captured the Otter girl. But his capture isn't celebrated as much since she wasn't fit for their 'project'. Unbeknownst to him, that the very captive he took is his long time friend and the only crush of her sister.
> 
> Will he turn to the dark side or remain as he is?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahahahehheh.. hi.. sorry ive been busy with school since i um failed. Enjoy reading! And also bear in mind i dont have much experience in writing so im sorry if its a lil bit... cringey.

Edric POV:

Hours later on the special day of Grom.

I stood inside a stadium-like room, along with Steve and a few more guards. The room had been newly built for school purposes. We surrounded the girl that had been caught a few hours ago, knelt on the middle of the room.

She was bent over on her knees, her hands concealed by large metal cuffs, refraining her from casting any spells. She had a gag in her mouth that went around her head. Her shoulders heaved heavily up and down, her injured arm still flared and bled red even after healing her.

I turned to Steve, whom was tapping away on his scroll. “Are you sure you did the spell right, Steve?” I asked, a bit concerned for the girl.

“Hm?” He glanced up from his scroll, his character dying on screen, unbeknownst to him. “Oh yeah, the clerks back at the castle did their best but no matter what, we couldn’t make the burns or blood disappear.”

I nodded, biting the inside of my cheek. “And her blood? Was it suitable for Grometheus?”

He shook his head. “Nope!”

I sighed, bringing my hands behind me, knowing what would happen next... Interrogation, then possible death. Steve went back to his scroll, this time swiping through penstagram and hearting every picture and video he passes. The doors behind us swung open, revealing the head of the Emperors’ coven on the other side, feathers stuck on her fully green hair and clothes.

“Mittens! You’re late. Got caught up in a bit of sticky situation, eh?” I grinned, innocently.

She sneered, glaring daggers at me. “Try anything like this once more and I’ll lock you in a shed so small and dark it’ll feel like you’re floating through an abyss of nothingness.”

I swear I felt my heart stop beating. My smile dropped as my eyes widened, staring at her now smirking face in horror. I cleared my throat, shifting my hands back in front of me, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Yeah, ok. Whatever.” I averted my eyes away as she stepped closer to the girl, peering at her unconscious back.

“I can’t believe you found one of the Wild Witches, least of all capture one” She said with a slight impressed tone in her words.

“Do you really think they’re real? The wild witches uprising I mean. We only heard rumors of them being out there” I stepped up to stand by her side. “Rumors from witches that once said ‘Jelly fishes are just wet ghosts’”

“Edric, you said that when we were younger. Then proceeded to convince mom and dad that it was true” She side-eyed me. “Even after that dad made you his favorite.” Her words held a hint of jealousy, which she quickly covered up by staring at the captive again.

I hummed, staring at my feet, knowing deep down I felt guilty for being part of her problems. 

“Why can’t you accept that Emira chose to join them, Ed?” Amity pointed out, a dark look passing her eyes.

My ears twitched. My blood turned cold at her words as my heart raced, thumping loudly in my ears. The memory of our parting came flooding back, the last time I saw her in 2 years. I clenched my teeth, forcing back tears. I cleared my throat, ignoring her question. We both went silent as the beeps and tweets of Steve’s scroll echoed around the room.

“So, where’s the Emperor? I thought you were with him?” I asked.

She shrugged, her eyes stuck to the girl. “He had some other business to deal with since this girl isn’t compatible enough to become a vessel for Grometheus”

I nodded, observing the girl again. “She looks familiar, yaknow… Brown hair, tan skin, probably has those charming brown eyes--”

She elbowed me on the side, hard enough to get me bent over, wheezing and cursing.

“Don’t you dare compare her to that witch. Wild witches are criminals that won’t hesitate to hurt anyone in their way, so long they get what they want” She spat out like acid. “And Luz…She’s…” her voice softened at the mention of her name. “She’s gone.”

I straightened up, rubbing my side which has probably formed bruise now, still hissing from the pain.

“Agh… Yeah… I miss her too, you know.” I muttered. “Always makes everyone laugh around her despite her… erm—impulsiveness, she was good for us” 

She scoffed, turning her head away. “Don’t care. Can we get this over with now?”

I stared at her for a bit longer before I nodded, walking past her to the center of the room. I brought my hands over my head, clapping them loudly to get everyone’s attention.

“Okay, listen up!” I yelled out, slowly stepping towards the captive girl. “Everyone get on your stations. You all know the drill. Students come watch as we fight Grom, defeat Grom, gather his remains and yada yada.”

I continued to advance to the girl and stopped in my tracks once I was only an inch away from her, her back facing me. I bent down to grab her shoulder, my hand outstretched, before just like in slow-motion scenes--- she swiftly turned around, kicking me in the crotch at full force.

“Fu--” I bit my lip, immediately falling down on my knees, doubled over in pain. “My holy ball--”

It felt like an explosion blew in the back of my mind. The pain overwhelmed me so much that everything around me was nothing but just space that surrounded my immense and indescribable pain. I wheezed out a long breath, covering my private part for dear life. 

I quickly pushed down the rest of the pain, biting my lip as a distraction. I slowly stood up on shaking legs. I gulped, taking a long and deep breath. I looked around my surroundings, noticing that the metal cuffs were on the floor and no longer on the captives’ hands.

“How did she…?” I shook my head, pulling out my staff.

I looked around me, and let out a small gasp. There were bodies of the guards all-around me, some hung from vines, others trapped in ice, a few electrocuted in water. I covered my mouth with my gloved hand, eyes widening at the sight. She could fight good, that’s for sure.

Before I could do anything--- the school shook, a few pebbles and dust fell from the ceiling, dropping to the ground and my hair. The pillars that held the floor underneath cracked loudly. Until the whole pillar collapsed, bringing a chunk of floor along with it.

I rushed out of the door, pulling out my scroll, watching as it lit up. I dialed Amity’s number and watched as the screen switched to a picture of her and her number.

“Pick up, pick up…” I muttered under my breath, still running through the hallways of the school.

The doors were all swung open, classrooms were deserted, papers flew around freely, pens rolled on the floor, lockers were shut tightly. The school was a wasteland by now. My scroll pinged, notifying me that she didn’t pick up. I cursed under my breath, making my scroll disappear.

The school trembled, harder than the last one but shorter. I ignored it, running harder. Soon enough I heard yells and screams from a familiar and usually grumpy voice. I stopped in my tracks, turning to the direction of the noise. By the time I got to the door, I was breathing heavily, sweat dripped down from my forehead and further to my neck. The muffled yells and scream were just behind this door. I took one last deep breath before pushing the doors open.

The first thing I saw was the open floor. Immediately, memories of Grom nights from the past flashed back in my mind. What used to be hung up decorations were now on the floor, torn and broken.

“—And get this?!” Amity screamed, the sound almost deafening to the ears. “You will never hurt anyone else again!” Her voice cracked as she shoved the criminal over the edge, causing her to fall down to the sand below the floor.

“Amity!” I ran to her as fast I could. I hovered my hands around her, checking for any injury or bruises. “What happened? I lost you guys when i… uh. Fell” I cringed.

She didn’t take her eyes of the girl below us, but nodded otherwise. I followed her gaze, watching as the girl stood up, dusting sand from her hair. She stared up at us through the black eyes of her mask, her breathing erratic. I don’t think she ever had any room to breathe, I would feel bad but she did kick me in the crown jewels.

She held her shoulder, which became redder. I caught sight of welts through the torn parts of her gear, fading to a darker shade of red the closer it was to her hand.

“Why are you two doing this? Can’t you see?! This isn’t right. Please! I beg of you, come with me…” She flinched, clutching her shoulder tighter. “We never did anything to hurt you all but it seems like you guys see me as nothing but just a rotting corpse!”

Amity scoffed. “You don’t know anything about what we do. We--”

“Hurt! You hurt me.” She cut in sharply, a pained tone in her voice. “And I don’t blame you! I know you guys hate me and don’t want to be my friend… It happened back to my home, I’m not surprised its happening here… I’m just sad that I couldn’t be what you want me to be, just to be your friend”

Amity and I glanced at each other, both with confused looks on our faces.

I cleared my throat. “Listen, kid. I don’t know what kind of trick you’re trying to pull here. But it won’t matter. Just like the Emperor said, in order to achieve great things, one must sacrifice”

Amity stood firm beside me, as she crossed her arms, staring down at her. The girl looked between us, stepping back. A slight movement caught my eye, a black tentacle-like shape dug out of the sand, moving like a wave in the ocean. I nudged Amity, subtly tilting my head to the same direction. A light gasp came out of her. She moved her arm In front of me, lightly pushing me back alongside her.

The girl tilted her head in confusion, watching our movement. As if reading our minds, she turned around, noticing the black beast before it submerged below the sand again. Even from up here I could hear her gasp. Even with an injured arm, she took out her glyphs, circling around as more of the monsters’ form slither around her, seemingly teasing her.

“…Shouldn’t we help her?” I asked, pushing Amity’s arm away. “We could just… Use her instead of letting Grom take her” I muttered.

Amity’s eyes were glued to the girl, her brows furrowed and mouth slightly parted. I tapped her on the shoulder, but instead she tensed up, slowly backing away from the edge of the floor.

“Mittens?” I could hear the concern in my own voice. I haven’t seen her like this in years. So fixated and mesmerized on the girl.

As if summoning her with my thoughts, she howled out in pain. The sound caught my attention, I looked at the side just as Groms’ long arm lashed out towards me, grabbing my hand.

“Wha--” I flinched at the contact.

The monster tightened around my hand before it pulled me down with them. I could hear Amity snap out of her trance, screaming my name as I hit the sand.

“Oof!” I yelped, feeling the small stabs of the sand.”Amity!”

The monster looked down at me, letting out a deafening roar. Bits of goo splattered out of its jaws and flew across my face as it grew multiple arms and stabbed through my hands, keeping me in place. 

“AGHH!” I cried out, the stab wasn’t as painful as a knife, but it hurt still. Tears formed in my eyes, a few slipping out.

The monster growled and opened its eyes, the pupils rolled from inside its head before focusing on me with such intensity that my heart started to beat faster a millisecond. Its eyes suddenly glowed brightly, blinding me for a hot second. It shifted, the spikes retracted from my hands, transforming into a smaller version of itself until it became…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. Ur reading this? THaNkYOuuuuu <3\. It'll be while til i post chapter 4 soooo... thanks for being patient!
> 
> .... Also been thinking abt centaurluz alot and might ask a drawing of it from Smittens_812 from ig. Plz follow her she did the art for the next upcoming chapter :33

**Author's Note:**

> if you've made it this far. Thankyou for reading :>>


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